Just a Little Sincerity (2 page)

“Charlie mentioned that you finally made it to the cemetery this morning,” he said, squeezing my fingers. “Good for you, kid. You need to take that time to be with your parents—”

“I’d rather not talk about it,” I said, meeting his gaze. “It didn’t go well—”

“It was your first visit since the burial,” he said. “It gets easier with time.”

Footsteps rounded the corner; Luke pulled away and put a foot of distance between us. I looked over my shoulder to find Derek coming closer, wearing a smile.

“Wow, Julie,” he said, taking my hand and twirling me in a circle. “You’re absolutely stunning.”

“Why, thank you, my prince,” I said, curtsying.

Derek’s strawberry-blonde hair whipped in the wind. He adjusted his silver-rimmed glasses and smiled at me, leaving me flustered by his charm. His dark suit blended with the night sky, and it was clear that he hadn’t worked hard to transform himself into the perfect Prince Charming. He wore his heroic costume like a pro.

“Seriously?” Luke asked, shaking his head. “You two dressed to match?”

“FYI, Officer Reibeck.” I turned back to Luke. “I know you got the message—but in case you forgot—this is a costume party. And Charlie is handing out prizes—
one
being for the best dressed couple. And since
some
people are too stubborn to participate, Derek willingly accepted my invitation to couple-up for the evening.”

“Of course he did,” Luke muttered. The two of them stared at the other  with mutual distaste. And while they still hadn’t found a way to get along, I wasn’t about to let their dislike for one another interfere with the relationship I had with each of them. I owed them both so much.

Three weeks ago, after Luke had been whisked off to the hospital for immediate surgery, Derek, Hannah, and I were taken straight to the police station for questioning. Since Hannah was in no hurry to deny her position in the shooting, and mine and Derek’s stories corroborated her involvement, the case was practically open and shut. And while she’s being held without bond, I feel as though it’s safe to say that my biggest fear is securely behind bars.

And while part of me wanted to hate Derek for the secrets he’d kept in the beginning—being the son of the man who murdered my parents—I couldn’t… not after everything we’d been through. Derek stayed by my side through my darkest hours. He let his sister take the fall, never once considering her feelings over mine.

“I’m going to run up to the house and grab something to drink,” Derek said. “Save me a dance later?”

I shook my head and smiled. “Definitely.”

He nodded at both Luke and I and turned back to the house.

“Funny,” Luke said, turning to me and reaching up to straighten my tiara. “I’m surprised he actually came dressed to match.”

“Why wouldn’t he?” I asked. “I asked him to, he agreed. I don’t think he’d lie—”

“No,” Luke said. “I’m just surprised he didn’t come dressed as a frog.”

“Why?” I asked, detecting a hint of resentment in his voice. “Because he’s slimy? Green with jealousy because he knows I’m crazy about you? Or
maybe
because—”

“Every frog wants to kiss their princess,” Luke said, fighting a smile.

“Then maybe
you
should have come as a frog.”

“Maybe,” he whispered, inches away from brushing his nose against mine. “And for what it’s worth, I didn’t know if I’d be out of the hospital in time to come tonight. I didn’t want to make a promise I couldn’t keep. In case
you
forgot, I was shot.”

“Oh, right,” I said. “How silly of me to forget.”

A hint of a smile crossed his lips. “You’re still not going to listen to me then? After everything that’s happened, you still trust him?”

“Luke,” I said, my voice fading into a whisper. “Don’t hate Derek for what happened… if you’re going to be angry at someone, direct that at Hannah—”

“I’m not angry,” he said, brushing a stray hair from my face. “Far from it, kid. Getting hurt… taking a shot or two… I’m okay with all of that. It’s a risk that comes with the job.”

“Being a policeman?”

“No,” he said, his nose finally meeting mine. “Protecting someone you care about.”

And just as his lips were a moment away from mine, Luke’s cell phone rang. He dropped his head, closed his eyes for a moment, and finally stepped back to pull the phone from his pocket.

He stared at the screen in disbelief.

“Bruno,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. He looked up at the front yard to see Detective Bruno waving his phone in the air. He accepted the call and the two men simultaneously brought their phones to their ears.

“What?” he said with an edge of irritation in his voice. He listened to Bruno on the other end, all the while watching him from across the yard. He kept his head low and lips covered, so I couldn’t interpret what the Detective was saying on the other end. Without another word, Luke hung up the phone and shoved it in his pocket.

“I’ve gotta hit the road, Julie,” he said, looking past me and not meeting my stare. “Have fun tonight and good luck with the contest—”

“Whoa, wait,” I said, taking his arm. “What’s going on? You just got here—”

“Duty calls—”

“You’re not on duty,” I said. “And you won’t be for the next month—”

“Julie,” he yelled, shaking his arm free from my grasp. “Good night.”

And as he walked away, further and further from the fire, my heart sank from my chest.

After all we’d been through, Luke was still running.

Chapter Two

Wednesday October 31

“What in the world do you think you’re doing?” Matt ripped a frozen pizza from my hands and tossed it in the trash.

“Matt,” I whined. “I’m starving—”

“Then I’ll make you something to eat,” he said. “You can’t put that garbage in your body—”

“That
garbage
is what I lived off of for sixteen years before coming to this house,” I said. “It hasn’t killed me—”

“Yet.”

I rolled my eyes and slumped into the barstool at the center island. I watched as Matt made his way through the kitchen, stopping at the refrigerator to pull out a celery stalk and carrots before opening the cupboard to retrieve a simmering pan, two pots, and a handful of utensils.

Much to the surprise of everyone who knew him, Matt jumped right back into his normal routine after the Oakland PD carted Hannah—his unofficial girlfriend—off to jail. I, more than anyone, expected him to go into shock, break down, and completely exclude himself. But he didn’t; Matt only spent a day or two in the dumps. In no time at all, he’d picked himself up, brushed it all off, and moved on as though nothing ever happened.

“Just a heads up,” Matt said. “I’m not going to be able to make it to school Friday night—”

“Matt, if you bail on me—”

“Sorry, Julie,” he said, dicing carrots. “I’m scheduled for a shift at the bistro. I can’t call off—”

“Why did you sign up for the decorating committee if you knew you couldn’t carry through?” I asked, disappointed that he was the third person in a week to cancel. “You bailing leaves me with only two helpers to assemble the Fall Ball—”

“Sorry,” he said again. “I wish there was something I could do, but my hands are tied. You’ll figure it out. You always do. I’m sure someone will step up and volunteer.”

“Like who?”

“Ask Derek.”

“I’m not asking Derek.”

“Why not?” he asked. “He’s the perfect guy for the job. He’ll do anything you ask. You say jump, he’ll jump.”

“Don’t be a jerk, Matt—”

“I’m not being a jerk; just stating the obvious, Julie.” Matt tossed the diced vegetables into the pan. He watched in silence as they simmered, finally looking up at me long enough to shake his head. “Honestly, I still can’t understand why you’d want to be friends with the guy… you do remember what he did, don’t you?”

Remember
? How could I forget? He risked his life against his own flesh and blood to put me out of harm’s way. He leaned over Luke’s lifeless body and performed CPR, despite the fact that we’d given up hope that he’d pull through. He did all the things an amazing friend would do, and I was eternally grateful—despite what Matt, Charlie,
and
Luke thought about him.

I couldn’t help but smile as I remembered the sigh of relief Derek let out when the doctors came into the waiting room to deliver news on Luke’s surgery. He’d wrapped his arms around me, hugged me tight, and promised me that everything would be okay.

“Yeah, Matt,” I said, sliding off the stool. “I remember perfectly well what Derek did. I’ll never forget… he was there for me when I needed a shoulder. He was being a friend… he was doing
your
job.”

I walked through the house and out the front door, chancing the autumn breeze without a sweater or jacket. My bare arms tightened against the cool air as I walked to the house next door and rang the bell.

“Hey,” Derek said, opening the door wide enough to let me in. “Aren’t you freezing?”

“I’m okay,” I said, my teeth chattering as I stepped inside and closed the door. He stepped back and pulled a quilt off the couch and wrapped it around my arms. He came in closer, draping his arms around my body, and holding me for a few long seconds.

“Better?” he asked, resting his head on top of mine.

I nodded.

With obvious hesitation, he pulled away and headed for the kitchen. “Can I get you anything?”

“Want to order a pizza?” I asked, following him across the room with the quilt draped over my shoulders like a cape. “I’m starving.”

“Matt confiscated the goods?”

“Again,” I said, throwing myself back on the couch. Though I fought the urge to look, I let my eyes wander down to the floor. It was right there, right where I stared that Luke’s body had laid, lifeless and bloodied. It was in that exact spot that I accepted that I may never hear his voice again. And though the carpet had been changed, the wound had been healed, and the shooter locked away… nothing could change the memory of what had happened the night Hannah pulled the trigger.

“You okay?” Derek asked, sitting down in the opposite chair and flipping through a thick phone book.

“Fine,” I said, eyeing him as he turned each page. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for the number.”

I pulled the cell phone from my pocket, held down the second button and speed dialed Giovanni’s Pizzeria. I tossed the phone to Derek and pulled the Yellow Pages from his lap, setting it aside.

“Only you would have food on speed dial,” he grinned, lifting the phone to his ear and smiling at me the whole time he placed the order. “Twenty minutes,” he said when the call ended. “What do you want to do in the meantime?”

I bit my lip and looked down at my feet. I’d spent weeks contemplating whether or not I’d ever bring it up again, but part of me yearned to put together the parts of the puzzle that were still a little hazy. He’d offered to show it to me once before… to help me understand. He was just about to explain everything… right before Hannah put a bullet in his plan.

“You said you had a box…an explanation of some sort?” He nodded. “I’d like to see it,” I said, meeting his gaze again. “If it’s okay?”

His eyes widened, but only for a moment.

“Yeah, absolutely,” he whispered, still sitting firmly in the chair. A moment passed and he patted his knees and stood up, heading to the bedroom at the back of the house. I got up and followed him, watching from the doorframe as he pulled a blue shoebox from the top of his closet. He looked at the box for a few long seconds.

“You don’t have to worry,” I said, stepping into the room.

Derek turned back and managed a halfhearted smile. “I beg to differ.”

I took the box from his hand and backed up a few feet to take a seat on the corner of his bed.

“Julie,” he said, sitting next to me and putting his hand on top of mine. “Please remember that—”

“You’re not him,” I said, squeezing his fingers. “Believe me, I know.”

With a deep breath, I pulled the lid off the box. I looked inside and sifted through the pile of pictures, newspaper clippings, and envelopes. I skimmed the articles that quoted my father on the night he busted up a drug ring and made the arrest against Derek’s dad. I chose to pass up the familiar clippings that outlined the gory details of my parents’ murder. The trial articles were nothing I hadn’t read a million times. But as I reached the bottom of the box, I pulled a faded picture off the pile and stared at it intensely.

“I was three,” Derek said, pointing to the young boy in the arms of Conan Milton. “And Dad,” he took a deep breath. “Well, this might be the only picture we have together. He was pretty much absent… even in the years before the arrest.”

I nodded, lifting the picture a little higher to take a closer look.

“That’s how I remember him,” Derek continued. “Always gone or strung out.”

“Is this your mom?” I asked, pointing at the vivacious blonde in the photo.

Derek grinned. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

I nodded. “You look like her.”

And though the similarities were there, I had trouble believing that this was his mother. She looked nothing like I’d pictured; I’d always imagined her as weak and frail, helpless against her husband. After all, I’d convinced myself that any woman who’d be dumb enough to marry a murderous psychopath couldn’t be much of a winner herself.

“She was amazing,” Derek said. “She was loving, kind, soft-spoken… but she never knew how to stand up for herself. She always found herself getting mixed up with the wrong people.”

“Did she know… about your dad… the operation he was running?”

“Not because he told her,” he said. “And not in the beginning. But his lies started piling up as the money rolled in. She wasn’t stupid; she knew what was going on. But by then, I was five and she was pregnant with Hannah.”

“Why’d she stay with him?”

“She made a commitment. She promised to see that commitment through to the end; no matter what.”

“That’s… admirable.”

“
Stupid
,” he said. “I think that’s the word you were looking for. She had a million opportunities to leave, to run as far away as possible. But she never did. Her unconditional love for my father wasn’t admirable, Julie. It was pathetic and selfish.”